Trimming machine



Feb. 11, 1936. A; EPPLER 7 2,030,057

TRIMMING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet l Ava/70 J 7 Ti l Hqnszmhm Feb. 11, 1936; A. EPPLER TRIMMING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 11, 1936. A. EPPLER TRIMMING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 3- A. EPPLER TRIMMING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1934 6 SheetsSheet 4 Feb. 11, 1936.

Feb. 11, 1936. A. EPPLER TRIMMING- MACHINE Filed April 9, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 iv VEN 757R: W Wm QQVMID Feb. 11, 1936. EPPLER 2,030,057

TRIMMING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRIM EMING MACHINE Application April 9, 1934, Serial No. 719,679

25 Claims.

This invention relates to trimming machines, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine provided with a rotary tubular cutter "for severing upstanding flanges of surplus materials that project from the bottoms of lasted shoes. With respect to welt-shoes such a trimming operation is known as inseam-trimming, but, so far as the operation of trimming upstanding flanges of surplus'materials is concerned, similar conditions are encountered in a certain type of cement-lasted shoe disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 386,097, filed August 15, 1929 in the name of George Goddu, although a shoe of that type has no welt.

In some respects the operation of the machine herein illustrated is similar to that of the wellknown Inseam-trimming machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,226,872, granted May 22, 1917 and used very extensively in commercial production'of mens and womens welt-shoes, but the machine herein illustrated embodies certain improvements one of which provides a solution of certain troublesome problems encountered in trimming womens high-arch shoes and narrow-toe shoes.

Machines of the type illustrated in the abovementioned Letters Patent were designed particularly for operating on walking shoes, that is, shoes having low arches and toes not extremely narrow or pointed. As a general rule such shoes have relatively little bottom-curvature and their shanks are not extremely narrow, and for these reasons it has been a long-standing practice to trim them with machines organized as shown in the aforesaid-patent. On the other hand, such machines are not so satisfactory for operating-on silhouwelt shoes for women, which have high arches and narrow shanks and embody the characteristic construction of welt-shoes.

In high-arch shoes, including welts, turns, and cement-lasted shoes of the type above mentioned, the shanks are so narrow that the upstanding flanges of surplus materials to be trimmed are not more than inch apart at the narrowest point. Consequently, when it is attempted to trim them with a machine of the type first-mentioned the upstanding flange not at the point of operation commonly diverts the trimming of the other flange from its true course at one or more localities in consequence of its interference with the necessary cutter-guard adjacent to the cutting point. These flanges project as much as inch at some points and their roots are thick and stiff, since they usually com prise at least five layers including an upstanding lip of a leather insole. The problem to be considered is to "trim these flanges, one at a time, uniformly at all points "and nearly, if not quite, flush with the general plane of the shoebottom -'to the end that the product of such trimming will not militate against satisfactory results of subsequent bottoming operations.

Another condition that has "heretofore 'p'revented'closed'ariduniiorm trimming of high-arch shoes is encountered as the trimming progresses from the shank to the ball-line of left shoes and from the ball-line into the 'sha'n'kof right shoes. The longitudinal curvatures of a shoe-bottom in the region of the ball-line form a prominent hump-that must pass-under the cutter-guard, but if the latter is ahead of the operating segment of the cutter the hump will strike the guard too soon and divert "the trimming from its true course.

Stillanother difiiculty is encountered-in a narrow-toe shoe as the trimming approaches the toe-end. Here, "the upstanding flange of surplus materials around the turn from the point of operation comes abreast of the latter before the shoe maybe turned endf'or end to trim the toe. At this "stage of -trinuning also, if the cutter-guard is ahead of the operating segment of the cutter, it mayno't on'lydivert the trimming "from its true course but'may even arrest the feeding of the shoe and thereby cause-damage to the welt, if the shoe has one, by the feed-roll that runs thereon.

To overcome the di'fiiculties above set forth, the present invention provides an improved trimming machine in which a novel feature consists in a certain skewed arrangement a rotary tubular trimming cutter with respectto the direction in which the surplus materials must travel at the point of operation. Accordingly, the machine herein illustrated comprises a rotary tubular cutter having an annularcutting edgearranged to sever a flange 'of surplus materials projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe,'driven means arranged to feed the shoe past the cutter, and driven means arranged to operate thecutter, the axis of the cutter being so skewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement as to place the inboard segment of the cutting edge (that is, the segment that overlies the middle area of the shoe-bottom) in a position less advanced to meet the work than, the segment at the point of operation. Stated in another way, the direction'of skewing is such as to place the operating segment of the cutting edge ahead of thesegment that overlies the upstanding flange not in operation. Consequently, even if the inboard segment is confronted by a guard, as it should be, the latter may be placed so that its point of contact with the work will not be more advanced than the operating segment. Therefore, since the various incidental movements of a shoe should be timed always with regard to the most advanced point of the trimming operation, the specified manner of skewing the cutter provides a sufficient factor of clearance to permit the trimming cut to progress in a true course at the most difficult stages of the trimming operation as well as at all other stages thereof.

In addition, the illustrated machine embodies various other improved features of construction and arrangement from which it derives other advantages with regard to efiiciency and facility of incidental operations including that of clearing out any strips of severed materials that may become lodged or clogged in the interior of the cutter.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a trimming machine embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left-hand side of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a shaftand-gear assemblage of a transmission train for driving one of the feed-rolls (see line IVIV of Fig. 6)

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the cutter-shaft assemblage viewed from above;

Fig. 6 is an elevation including the transmission train shown in Fig. 4 and the feed-roll operated thereby, the direction of the view being indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a top plan View of a lasted shoe in process of being trimmed in the shank, the lower half of the trimming cutter being represented in section;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation corresponding to Fig. 7, the cutter being represented in dot-andv dash lines;

Fig. 9 is a view looking into the cutting end of the trimming cutter, and includes the cutterguards and one of the feed-rolls;

Fig. 10 is a skewed front elevation similar to Fig. 6 but including the cutter-guards;

Fig. 11 is a cross-section through the shank portion of a shoe and includes dot-and-dash lines representing the trimming cutter in operation at a stage corresponding to that represented in Figs. '7 and 8; and

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the forepart of a shoe in process of being trimmed, the trimming cutter being represented in dot-and-dash lines and the trimming having progressed nearly to the toe-end of the shoe.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and '7 the machine comprises a rotary tubular cutter l2, two positively driven feed-rolls l3, l4 and a freely rotatable work-supporting roll l5. The roll I3 is dished, and the cuttingend of the cutter is arranged in the hollow thereof. The feed-rolls I3 and M are formed and arranged to grip the root of the flange of inseam materials projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe without engaging the surplus substance to be severed therefrom, and to feed the gripped materials in a horizontal plane squarely from right to left in a path represented by arrows in Figs. 5 and '7. The roll I5 is arranged to underlie the projecting margin of a Welt l 6 and to press the weltagainst the toothed or ribbed surface of the feed-roll l3 and thereby ensure a moderately powerful feeding effect of the latter. For this purpose the roll I5 is mounted upon a spring-pressed lever I! (Fig. 2) the fulcrum of which is a pin IS. The rear end of the lever Il overlies an arm IQ of a bell-crank lever the other arm of which lies between two collars 20, 2| affixed to a vertically movable treadle-rod 22. A compression spring 23, partly broken away in Fig. 2, exerts downward pressure on the rear end of the lever l1 and thereby normally maintains the gripping action of the roll I5. The transmission train for driving the feed-roll l3 comprises a worm I06 on the main shaft 55, a Worm-gear I01, and a shaft I98 journaled in bearings I09 in the main frame 52 (Figs. 1 and 2).

The rim of the feed-roll l3 overlies the welt l6 as represented in Fig. 7 and engages the upturned margin of the welt, but it is not so thick as to mask the surplus materials to be severed. This feed-roll has no motion other than rotation, but the feed-roll I4 is not only driven but is also movable bodily cross wise of the mouth of the cutter to grip and release the work and is normally spring-pressed toward the roll l3 to maintain a suitable grip on the materials below the level of the trimming cut. The lower end of the roll l4 bears against the insole of the shoe to control the closeness of trimming. This roll is journaled in the lower section 26 of an articulate arm that includes also an upper section 21, Fig. 6, the two sections 25 and 21 being pivotally connected to each other by a hinge-pin 28 that provides an elbow-joint about which the lower section 26 may be retracted from its operative position (full lines in Fig. 6) to the position represented in dot-and-dash lines whenever it is necessary to clear out remnants of severed material that may become clogged in the cutter. To enable the roll I4 to operate as closely as possible to the cutter the section 26 is formed and arranged to project into the mouth of the cutter. When the section 26 is in its operative position it is held there by a spring-latch 29. This latch is affixed to the section 2'! and hooks over a block 30 affixed to the section 26. The upper section 2'! of the articulate arm is forked, one branch of the fork being arranged on a sleeve 3| (Fig. 4) and the other branch being arranged on a sleeve 32 to which it is tightly clamped. The two sleeves 3| and 32 are coaxially arranged in a stationary supporting bracket 33, and their axis is not only inclined and skewed but is parallel with the axis of the cutter l2, to the end that the feed-roll [4 may move forward and back in close proximity to the cutting edge without touching the cutter. The sleeves not only constitute trunnions to support the articulate arm but also furnish bearings for a bevel gear 34 and a shaft 35 both included in an articulate transmission train by which rotation is imparted to the feed-roll M. The sleeve 3| is tightly clamped in the bracket 33 but the sleeve 32 is axially adjustable toward and from it to establish the desired position of a bevel-gear 36 affixed to the shaft 35. justing the sleeve 32 the bracket 33 is provided with an adjusting screw 3'! having a head 38 that occupies a notch formed in the sleeve.

The articulate transmission train for operating the feed-roll l4 comprises the following elements recited in the order of their arrangement, Fig. 6 showing the train most clearly: feed-roll-shaft 39, bevel gear 40, bevel gear 45, shaft .2, bevel gears 43 and 44, shaft 45, spur gear 45 (all mounted in the lower section 26 of the articulate For the purpose of adarm) spurgear =41, shaft '48 (journaled in the upper section 21), bevelgears 49 "and 36, shaft 35, bevel gears 34 and 50, shaft 51 journaled in the main frame 52 '(refer to 2), helical .gear53, helical gear 54 and main shaft 55 journaled in the frame 52. The members 39, 40-, M, and 42 of this train are surrounded by the cutter I2 when they occupy their operative positions. The shaft 55 is provided with a pulley 56 for receiving rotation from a main driving belt 51. Referring again to Fig. 4, the hub of the bevel gear 34 is journaled in the stationary sleeve 3| and furnishes abearing to support one end of theshaft 35, the operating connection between this gear and the shaft being provided by a key 58 splined in the gear. The transmission train above described provides for angular movement of the articulate arms 26 and 21 about the axis of the sleeves 3I and 32 Without disturbing the cooperative relations of the rotational elements.

To provide for retracting the feed-roll I4 from the feed-roll I3 when it is desired to present a shoe to the machine the upper section 21 of the articulate arm is operatively connected to the treadle-rod 22 by the following parts: an arm 60 affixed to the section 21, a link 6|, an arm 62 pivotally connected to the frame 52 by a pivot pin 63, and nuts 64 screwed on the upper end of the treadle-rod 22 which extends through a hole in the free end of the arm 62. The link 6| has ball-and-socket connections with the arms 60 and 62. A compression spring 65 (Figs. 1 and 2) surrounds the rod 22 and underlies the arm 62 to exert its force upwardly against the latter, whereby the gripping effect of the feed-roll I4 is normally maintained against the materials interpo'sed between it and the feed-roll I3. The spring 65 permits the roll I4 to yield away from the roll I3 as may be necessary to accommodate variations in the thickness of the interposed materials. A downward movement of the treadlerod 22 not only retracts the feed-roll I4 from the feed-roll I3 but also retracts the freely rotatable welt-engaging roll I5 from the feed-roll I3 at the same time.

Referring again to Fig. 6, although the shaft 48 is journaled in the upper section 21 of the articulate arm, while the shaft 45 is journaled in the lower section 26 of the arm, the spur-gear 46 is arranged to move into intermeshed relation with the gear 4'! whenever the lower section 26 is resto'red to its operative position. Moreover, the driving connection thus provided by thegears 46 and 41 also provides for adjusting the lower section 26 up and down relatively to the section 21 as may be necessary to regulate the closeness of trimming, which is controlled by the feed-roll I4. For this purpose the hinge-pin 28, instead of being mounted in an integral part of the section 21 is mounted in an adjustable blo'ck 66 mortised into the section 21 and secured thereto by a clamping bolt 61 that extends through a slot 68 in the arm. The lines of adjustment of the block 66 are parallel to the axis of the shaft 48. A turn-buckle 69 is provided for effecting the described adjustment of the block 66, one end of the turn-buckle having-a right-hand thread and being screwed into the section 21, and the other end having a left-hand thread and being screwed into an ear formed on the block 66.

The upper section 21 of the articulate arm also carries a segmental cutter-guard I (Figs. 9 and 10) and an individually adjustable guard II secured thereto by a screw I2. The guard I0 is adjustably secured to a bracket 13 by screws I4,

and this a-bracket I3 is .adjustablysecured to the section 21 'byscrews I14. "These guards are purposelyomitted from Figs. 1, 3, and 6 to avoid obscuring the'cutter andother closely related elements. Aslot formed in theguard II to receive the screw I2 provides for adjusting this guard up and down to place its lower edge in register with the corresponding segment of the cutting edge 15 of the cutter. The guard I0 is formed to'enclose the front segment of the cutting edge I and does not ordinarily engage the work, but the supplemental guard II, which is essentially a segmental flat plate, stands between the guard I0 andthe feed-roll I4 where it may deflect the untrimmed surplus materials at the front side of the shank of :a shoe so that they will pass under the corresponding segment of the cutter without encountering the cutting edge thereof.

The guard II is sotskewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement (see Fig. '7) that "even the most advanced point of its work-engaging'edge is not ahead of the operating .point of the cutter. This arrangement of the guard "II is rendered possible by the described skewing of the cutter, and is one of the factors that provides for close trimming in the shanks and at the toe-ends of "shoes.

The trimming cutter I2 is arranged to rotate about an axis that not only inclined with respect to a'horizontallplane but :is also skewed with respect to a vertical plane in the line of feed, both the inclination and the-skewed relation being apparent in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, while the skewed relation is apparent also in 5. Moreover, both the inclination and the skewed relation of the cutter are represented in Figs. 7, 8, 10, and 11. One effect of inclining the axis relatively to a horizontal plane is illustrated in Fig. 8 and is particularly important to provide clearance between the butt-end'of the cutter and the heelseat portion 'of a womans high-arch shoe when the cutter is operating on the shank portion thereof, since the portion of a shoe that lies at the point of operation must be approximately level, under all conditions, to be gripped and fed by the rolls I3, I4, and I5. On the other hand, the skewed relation between the axis of the cutter and a vertical plane in the line of feeding movement is such as to advance the operative segment of the'cutting edge to meet the work and to place the inboard segment of the cutting edge in a position less advanced to meet the work than the segment at the point of operation. It is to be understood, for the purpose of definition, that the inboard segment of the cutting edge is the segment that overlies the middle area of the shoe and the margin away from the point of operation. Thisincludes the segment covered by the guard II. In Figs. 11 and 12 the axis of the cutter is represented by dot-and-dash line A while dotted line B represents a vertical plane in the line of feed. It follows therefore that the skewed relation of the axis with respect tothis vertical plane places the cutting point ahead of the inboard segment of the cutting edge. This skewed relation provides for placing the guard II so that no work-engaging portion thereof is further advanced to meet the work than the point at which the cutting edge I5 operates on the shoe. In fact, when this guard is arranged as shown in Fig. 7, its front portion is considerably less advanced than the point of operation. One advantage of this relation is that any upwardly-projecting element at the front margin of the insole may come abreast of the point of operation without being deflected downwardly by the guard H, instead of being so deflected before coming abreast, as it would be if it encountered a guard located ahead of a non-skewed cutting edge or ahead of one skewed in the opposite direction.

As shown in Fig. 7 the cutting edge 15 is in the act of severing the surplus materials above but contiguous to the narrow band passing between the feed-rolls i3 and l 4 while the inboard segment of the cutting edge overlies the surplus materials at the opposite margin of the shank. It may also be observed that the point at which the operating segment of the cutting edge intersects the materials at the rear side of the shoe is a considerable distance ahead of the point at which the inboard segment of the cutting edge overlies the surplus materials at the front side of the shoe. This relative advancement of the operating segment permits closer trimming in the shanks of high-arch shoes than that obtainable with trimming machines as heretofore organized. The arrow in Fig. '7 represents the direction in Y which the surplus materials are fed at the point of operation.

If desired, the operating segment of the cutting edge 15 may be located virtually in register with the nip of the feed-rolls l3 and I4 in consequence of the direction of skewing of the cutter and in consequence of providing the feed-roll I4 with a neck portion N4 of reduced diameter a short distance above its lower end. These-features provide for locating the operating segment of the cutting edge at the point above specified with the cooperation of means, hereinafter described, for adjusting the cutter endwise. Since a shoe must be rocked about an axis coincident with the nip of the feed-rolls as the trimming progresses lengthwise of the shoe, the specified location of the operating segment will avoid appreciable variations in the closeness of trimming.

As the trimming progresses from that point toward theball-line the heel-end of the shoe must swing toward the rear of the machine to counteract the incurve of. the shank. This factor of swinging throws the hump or shoulder 76 at the front side of a left shoe abreast of the point of operation before the latter can progress to the ball-line. In machines as heretofore organized it was necessary to locate the corresponding workengaging guard ahead of the point of operation, and in consequence thereof the hump E6 was deflected from its true course by the guard. On the other hand, the cutter and the guard ll of the machine herein illustrated are soarranged as to counteract the momentary running-ahead of the hump it when the shoe swings as aforesaid, with the result that the point of. operation may progress to the ball-line before the hump passes under the guard. As the point of operation approaches the ball-line the heel-end of the shoe also swings upwardly, thereby rocking the hump, now substantially abreast of the point of operation, downwardly so that it may pass under the guard H without being deflected from its true course. Stated otherwise, the upward swinging of the heel-end gradually eliminates upward projection of the hump after the latter comes abreast of the point of operation, and the guard ii is so situated as to permit the hump to travel along its true or normal course. Obviously, this would not be possible if the guard were ahead of the point of operation. The direct result of. this improved organization is that the trimming at the shank-side of the ball-line will be level and as close as it is elsewhere.

Although Figs. 1, 5, 6, '7, and 9 illustrate the trimming cutter as having a scolloped cutting edge the scolloped formation is purposely omitted in Figs, 8, 11, and 12 merely to facilitate the diagrammatic representations of the cutter.

The skewed relation of the axis of the cutter.

also provides a desirable factor of clearance when the point of operation has progressed to the toeend of a narrow-toe shoe where the flanges or margins of upstanding surplus materials converge so closely to each other that the one around the turn from the point of operation is very close to that point. Fig. 12 illustrates such a condition, dot-and-dash line A again representing the axis of. the cutter while dotted line B represents a vertical plane in the line of feed and intersecting the point of operation indicated at x. The bodily movement of the shoe from right to left, whereby the trimming is advanced to the point represented at this stage necessarily carries the untrimmed margin of surplus materials at the front side of the shoe very close to the inboard segment of the cutting edge, but since the cutter is skewed as shown and described the inboard segment of the cutting edge leaves a sufficient factor of clearance that avoids the necessity of depressing the front side of the shoe below its normal level. It will be understood that as the trimming progresses beyond the point a: in Fig. 12 the shoe must swing in the direction indicated by the arrow in this figure. This swinging movement counteracts the feeding movement at the point of operation before the untrimmed surplus materials around the turn from the point of operation have progressed so far to the left as to run under the guard I l.

Assuming that the trimming of a right shoe has progressed around the toe-end and thence to the ball-line, the skewed relation of the cutter once more affords a factor of clearance whereby the crest of the hump at the front side of the shoe may come abreast of. the point of operation before it passes under the guard H. The obliquity of the ball-line provides ample clearance in a left shoe but is unfavorable in a right shoe at this stage.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cutter and a cutter-shaft assemblage in which certain novel features of construction and arrangement are embodied. The cutter I2 is preferably a hollow cylinder and provided with an internal annular rib or flange 89 at its butt-end. This end of the cutter is seated against the rim of a cup-shaped holder Bl affixed to a shaft 82. The shaft is provided with a screw-threaded extension 83 for the reception of a cup-shaped nut 84 formed to be nested in the holder 8| and to engage the flange and thereby clamp the butt-end of. the cutter securely against the holder 8!. The cutter is maintained exactly in coaxial relation to the holder 8| by the nut 84, for which purpose the nut and the holder are provided with telescopically related cylindric surfaces 18 that maintain them in coaxial relation irrespective of unavoidable machining tolerances affecting their screw-threads. The shaft 82 extends through a bearing-sleeve 85 and through the hub 86 of a driven pulley 87. The hub of the pulley is journaled in a stationary bracket 88 and is constrained against axial shifting under all conditions by a collar 19, but the shaft 82 is adjustable lengthwise of its axis to counteract shortening the cutter in consequence of sharpening operations. The hub 86 of the pulley constitutes a support for the upper endof the shaft and has splined' connection therewith through the medium of a key 89. The pulley 8'! receives rotation from a driving pulley IT to which it is connected by a transmission belt 98 (Fig. 3)..

The bearing-sleeve extends through and is supported by a boss 9| projecting from a vertically adjustable slide 92. A vertical screw 93 provided with a hand-wheel 94 constitutes means for ad.- justing the slide up and down to regulate the level at which the cutting edge operates. Although the bearing-sleeve 85 may not turn it is nevertheless adjustable lengthwise of its axis, and for this purpose its lower end is provided with an internally threaded boss through which an adjusting screw 96 extends. An unthreaded shank portion of the screw is journaled in ears.

91 formed on and projecting from the boss 91. A hand-wheel 98 is pinned to the screw 96 and is arranged between the ears 91, its axial dimension being equal'to the space between the ears to prevent axial movement of the screw. When the hand-wheel 98 is turned the screw 96 shifts the bearing sleeve 85 axially and with it the shaft 82 and the cutter I2. To secure the bearing sleeve 85 in various positions of adjustment the threaded boss 95 is divided on one side by a kerf and provided with a bolt 99 by which it may be contracted to clamp the screw. The bearing sleeve 85 is provided with ball-thrust bearings I88 that also sustain the radial load of the shaft. This axially adjustable assemblage may be quickly adjusted without altering the position of the operating pulley 81.

Whenever it is necessary to'unscrew the cutterclamping nut 84 the cutter-shaft 82 may be locked against rotation by shifting a locking pin IIlI into a socket I82 formed in the hub of the pulley 81. The pin is normally maintained in an inoperative position by a compression spring I03, but is arranged to slide in a socket formed in the bracket 88 and is provided with a handle I04 that projects through an L-shaped slot I05 formed in the bracket (see Fig. 1).

A lasted shoe of the type shown has at least five layers of material in the marginal flange that requires to be trimmed, not including the welt I6 or the usual toe-stiffener. These five layers, as shown in Fig. 11, comprise the upper III], a lining III, two lip-forming flaps II2 formed on the leather insole, and a layer of reinforcing fabric II3 stuck to the insole with adhesive cement. In many shoes all these layers are connected by lasting staples. After the welt I6 has been attached by the stitches 24 all the surplus materials must be severed as closely as possible to the stitches 24 without unduly weakening the seam formed thereby. In a high-arch shoe having a narrow shank the conditions are exceedingly adverse to close and uniform trimming, not only because of the many and various movements that must be imparted to the shoe by manipulation, but also because of the presence abreast of and near the point of operation of surplus materials not due to be severed until after one side of the shoe has been trimmed.

In practice, the trimming operation is started at or near the forward portion of the heel-seat, as pictured in Fig. '7 from which point it progresses along the rear margin of the shoe to the toe-end. and. thence back along the opposite margin to a point opposite the starting point, the shoe requiring end-for-end reversal while the trimming progresses around the toe-end. Once the trimming operation is started, it is necessary to avoid all impediment thatmight arrest the feeding of the shoe, since any obstruction to the feeding movement might result in damage to the welt by the teeth or ridges on the lower surface of the feed-roll I3. However, the skewing of the axis of the cutter, and the improved location of the guard 'II due to such skewing permit the troublesome portions of a high-arch shoe and that of a pointed toe to come abreast of the cutting point without striking the guard and without being deflected from their true course.

The illustrated machine is provided with a suction-conduit I I5 (Figs. 1 and 3) through which the severed materials and dust may be removed from the mouth of the cutter I2, the receiving end of the suction-nozzle 6 being located at the right of the cutter and at the rear of the line of feed.

' The machine also includes abrading apparatus for sharpening the cutter without interrupting its rotation. This apparatus includes an abrading wheel. I I"! carried by a shaft I I8 on which a pulley H9 is aflixed to receive rotation from a belt I20 and a driving pulley I21. The shaft H8 is journaled in a stationary bracket I22 relatively to which it may be adjusted axially by a manually operable screw-sleeve I23 having threaded engagement with the shaft. This device provides for setting the operative surface at one end of the abrading wheel against the cutter. The pulley I'2I is the driven member of a disconnectible friction clutch under control of a manually operable member I24 by which it may be disengaged from a driving member I25 against the force of a compression spring I26 that normally maintains the clutched relation. The member I25 is in the form of a pulley and receives rotation from a driving belt I21.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge arranged to sever a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, driven means arranged to feed the shoe past said cutter,. and driven means arranged to operate said cutter, the axis of the cutter being so skewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement as toplace the inboard segment of the cutting edge in a position less advanced to meet the work than the segmentat the point of opera-' tion.

2.. A. trimming machine comprising driven means arranged to feed an inverted lasted shoe by engagement with. a flange of surplus material standing up from the bottom thereof, a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge arranged to sever said flange, the axis of said outter being so skewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement as to place the inboard segment of said cutting edge in a position less advanced than the segment at the point of operation, driven means for operating said outter, and a guard arranged ahead of the cutting edge of said inboard segment, the work-engaging portion of said guard being not more advanced than the operating segment of the cutting edge.

3. A trimming machine comprising driven means arranged to feed an inverted lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material standing up from the bottom thereof, a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge arranged to sever said flange, the axis of said cutter being. inclined and otherwise skewed with respect to the direction of the work-feeding movement so as to place the butt-end of the cutter away from the line of feed and to place the inboard segment of said cutting edge in a position less advanced than the segment at the point of operation, and a guard arranged to fend surplus materials of the shoe from the cutting edge of said inboard segment, said guard being skewed at an angle corresponding to that of the cutter.

4. A trimming machine comprising driven means arranged to feed a lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of the shoe, a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge at one end arranged to sever said flange, and rotary driven means to which the butt-end of said cutter is amxed, the axis of said rotary driven means being so skewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement as to place the inboard segment of said cutting edge in a position less advanced than the segment at the point of operation and to maintain the butt-end of the cutter away from the work.

5. A trimming machine comprising driven means arranged to feed an inverted lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom thereof, a rotary tubular cutter arranged to sever said flange adjacent to the point engaged by said feeding means, and a guard arranged to fend surplus materials of the shoe from the cutting edge of the inboard segment of said cutter, said cutter and said guard being so skewed relatively to the direction of the work-feeding movement as to place the operating segment of the cutter ahead of the work-engaging portion of said guard.

6. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to guide a lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom thereof, a rotary driven cutter-shaft and a hollow cylindrical cutter carried thereby for severing said flange, a support in which said outter-shaft is journaled, a thrust-bearing carried by said support to control the lengthwise position of said cutter-shaft, and means arranged to adjust said support along lines parallel to the axis of the cutter-shaft to counteract shortening of the cutter in consequence of sharpening it.

7. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to guide a lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom thereof, a rotary driven cutter-shaft and a hollow cylindrical cutter carried thereby for severing said flange, a sleeve in which said cuttershaft is journaled, a thrust-bearing by which the cutter-shaft is controllably related to said sleeve, and a stationary clamping structure in which said sleeve is arranged and relatively to which the sleeve may be adjusted along lines parallel to its axis to counteract shortening of the cutter in consequence of sharpening it.

8. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to guide a lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom thereof, a cutter-shaft and a tubular cutter carried thereby for severing said flange, said cutter-shaft being axially adjustable to counteract shortening of the cutter in consequence of sharpening it, a driven member arranged on said cutter-shaft and having spline-connection therewith, a driving member by which said driven member is operated, and means arranged to maintain said driven member in a constant cooperative relation to said driving member notwithstanding axial adjustments of the cuttershaft.

9. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to guide a lasted shoe by engagement with a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom thereof, a rotary driven cutter-shaft, a tubular cutter carried thereby for severing said flange, an axially adjustable sleeve in which said cutter-shaft is journaled, a thrust-bearing by which the cutter-shaft is controllably related to said sleeve, a driven member arranged on, and having spline-connection with, the cutter-shaft, a driving member by which said driven member is operated, and means arranged to maintain said driven member in a constant cooperative relation to said driving member notwithstanding axial adjustments of the cutter-shaft.

10. A trimming machine comprising a pair of cooperative feed-rolls arranged to grip a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge arranged to sever said flange adjacent to the point at which said rolls grip the flange, and means by which one of said rolls is carried bodily about an axis to grip and release the flange, said axis and that of said cutter being parallel and both being inclined relatively to the direction in which said flange is fed at the trimming locality.

11. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter arranged to sever a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, a pair of driven rolls arranged adjacent to the mouth of said cutter to grip and feed a shoe by the flange to be severed, and movable means by which one of said rolls is carried to and fro to grip and release the flange, said means being otherwise movable to carry said one of the rolls away from the cutter to give access to the interior of the latter.

12. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter arranged tosever a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, a pair of driven rolls arranged adjacent to the mouth of said cutter to grip and feed a shoe by the flange to be severed, and movable means by which one of said rolls is supported, said means being movable about one axis to effect gripping and releasing of the flange by said rolls and being movable about another axis to carry said one of the rolls away from the mouth of the cutter.

13. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter arranged to sever a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, 2. pair of driven rolls arranged adjacent to the mouth of said cutter to grip and feed a shoe by the flange to be severed, and an articulate arm by which one of said rolls is carried toward and from the other to grip and release the flange, one section of said arm being movable relative to the other to carry said one of the rolls away from the mouth of the cutter.

14. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter arranged to sever a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, 2. pair of driven rolls arranged adjacent to the mouth of said cutter to grip and feed a shoe by the flange to be severed, an articulate arm by which one of said rolls is carried toward and from the other to grip and release the flange, one section of said arm being movable relatively to the other to carry said one of the rolls away from the mouth of the cutter, an articulate transmission train carried by said arm to operate said one of the rolls, and power-operated mechanism for driving said transmission train.

15. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter one end of which has an annular cutting edge arranged to sever a flange of surplus material on the bottom of a lasted shoe, an articulate arm having an outer section and another section so connected as to form an elbowjoint which affords individual movement of the outer section toward and from said cutter, a work-engaging roll mounted at the outer end of said outer section, and a cutter-guard secured to said other section.

16. A trimming machinecomprising a rotary tubular cutter one end of which has an annular cutting edge arranged tosever a flange of sur plus material on the bottom of a lasted shoe, an arm the outer end of which is movable in one path to and from the mouth of said cutter and also movable crosswise of said path, a roll carried by said outer end to run on the insole and the flange of surplus material adjacent to the cutting point, and a cutter-guard arranged to remain in cooperative relation to said cutter when the outer end of said arm and said roll are retracted from the cutter.

17. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular trimming cutter one end of which has an annular cutting edge arranged to sever a flange of surplus material on the bottom of a lasted shoe, a movable arm so mounted that the outer end thereof is movable into and out of the mouth of said cutter, a feed-roll journaled in said outer end to operate on such flange adjacent to said cutting edge, and transmission means carried by said arm for imparting rotation to said roll.

18. A trimming machine comprising poweroperated trimming means arranged to sever surplus material on the bottom of a lasted shoe, an arm having a movable supporting section and an individually movable terminal section pivotally connected to form an elbow-joint, a Work-feeding member carried by said terminal section to operate on the bottom of the shoe, a transmission train of which a portion is carried by said supporting section and another portion of which is carried by said terminal section. to operate said member, said portions of the transmission train having interengaging toothed members, and power-operated means arranged to drive said transmission mechanism.

19. A trimming machine comprising poweroperated trimming means arranged to sever surplus material on the bottom of a lasted shoe, 2. power-operated shaft, an articulate arm arranged to swing about the axis of said shaft and having an intermediate elbow-joint by which its terminal section is rendered individually retractable from its operating position, a workfeeding member carried by said terminal section to operate adjacent to said trimming means, and an articulate transmission train carried by said arm and driven by said shaft to operate said work-feeding member, said transmission. train including a pair of toothed gears carried respectively by the sections of said armto be interengaged by moving said terminal section to its operating position.

20. A trimming machine comprising a workfeeding member arranged to operate on a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, transmission mechanism arranged to operate said member, and a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge at one end which is arranged to surround a portion of said transmission mechanism and to sever said flange.

21. A trimming machine comprising a rotary shaft one end of which is provided with a feedroll arranged to abut the sole of a lasted shoe and. to operate on a flange of surplus material projecting from the sole, a bearing element in which said shaft is journaled, a rotary tubular cutter arranged to surround said bearing element and the other end of said shaft, said cutter having an annular cutting edge at one end arranged to sever said flange adjacent to said feed-roll, and transmission mechanism arranged to extend into the cutting end of said cutter to drive said shaft.

22. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter having an annular cutting edge at one end arranged to sever surplus substance from a flange of inseam materials projecting from the bottom of an inseamed shoe, two cooperative feed-rolls formed and arranged to grip the root of said flange without engaging the surplus substance beyond the inseam, the axis of rotation of said cutter being skewed in a direction to advance the operating segment of said cutting edge toward the nip of said feed-rolls, and means by which said cutter may be adjusted endwise to locate said operating segment virtually in register with the nip of said feed-rolls.

23. A trimming machine comprising workfeeding mechanism including a rotary feed-roll arranged to operate on a flange of surplus material projecting from the bottom of a lasted shoe, mechanism arranged to transmit rotation to said feed-roll, and a rotary tubular cutter having an .annular cutting edge at one end which is arranged to surround a portion of said transmission mechanism and to sever said flange, said transmission mechanism having an articulate joint that provides for retracting said portion thereof and said feed-roll to a non-operative position remote from said cutter,

24. A trimming machine comprising a rotary tubular cutter having a cutting edge at one end and an internal flange at its butt-end, a rotary cup-shaped carrier the rim of which is. formed to provide an annular seat for the butt-end of said cutter, a clamping member nested in said carrier and adapted to pass through the cutter, said carrier and said clamping member having cooperative cylindric bearing surfaces by which they are maintained in coaxial relation, and said cutter and said clamping member being provided with cooperative lapped portions by which the cutter is centralized and clamped against said carrier, and means connecting said carrier and said clamping member to apply cutter-clamping pressure.

25. A trimming machine comprising a rotary shaft, a coaxial cup-shaped cutter-carrier afiixed thereto, said shaft having a screw-threaded end projecting into said carrier, a tubular cutter the butt-end of which is formed to be seated against the rim of said carrier, and a nut arranged on said screw-threaded end, said nut and the carrier having cooperative cylindric bearing surfaces by which the nut is centralized, and the nut and said cutter being provided with cooperative lapped portions by which the cutter is centralized and clamped against the rim of said carrier.

ANDREW EPPLER. 

